What Defines a Community?

Scholars have argued for a long time about whether online groups can be considered communities. Of course, there are many different types of online groups, some of whom consider themselves a community and some who do not. Some people attribute Internet-based interaction to breaking up local communities. But as Wellman (1996) points out, for many people in the United States, people's strongest social ties have not been local for quite some time. He argues that industrial forces have been changing the composition of our social networks over the course of the last hundred years--long before the Internet appeared on the scene.

In conducting online research among video sharing site participants, I've noticed that YouTube is vast with people relating positive and negative experiences they have had on the site. But what is particularly interesting to me is that in discussing whether or not YouTube feels like a community to them, the interviews revealed what the individuals defined as the characteristics of community. To me this is an important part of the video. Many different definitions of community are mentioned in this video both in words and images. Can you identify them? Which definitions seem most persuasive to you?

This footage was taken at the SouthTube meeting in Georgia on September 22-23, 2007. For more information on SouthTube see:

For more information on SouthTube see:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthTubeGathering

Please note that this is a research site and that comments posted to the site may be used in research. For more information about the study and how posted comments are used in research please see:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=AnthroVlog

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• AnthroVlog
• SouthTube
• YouTube
• community

[jkmom1030]

Good video...I am teacher, and since this is used for classes, please make sure spelling is correct...busses is buses...audiance is audience. :)



[AnthroVlog]

@jkmom1030 Thanks for this comment. I do not see those words in the text description of my video. Where did you see them?

[mattman624]

Who really cares?

[1chichimec1]

YOU TUBE censors your comments, Profanity, ignorance, simplistic views are fine but not anything that would be anti-middle-class or anti-olygharchical??? this will probably not be posted?

[OhCurt]

I love what ShortBusMooner, BigJoeSmith and ZenArcher had to say especially, but everyone here hit the nail on the head.

Such an awesome weekend that I'll never forget.

And YOU BET it's a community!

:-D

[forktung]

sweetest definition of community...Burningman.....

[ADyleria]

your mom defines a community

[GREYBLUE]

Sweet. I think it's great what you are doing. Keep up the good work. World peace through Youtube. 5 stars!!!

[AbcDjbBros]

Check out Dangerously Chill Show 5Five, and NASTY DRINK oN OuR PaGE!!

[zeystube]

What do you mean by ''MY'' gay?